Joey From Friends' Funniest Moments

This article was originally published by AskMen UK — so don't mind the references to things like "pounds," "chaps" and "packets of crisps," whatever those are.

The internet busted out a billion “always stuck in second gear” gags this week, in reaction to news that Matt LeBlanc – aka Joey from Friends – will be joining Chris Evans’s new-look Top Gear team. We’ve got high hopes his hiring will prove to be a masterstroke, so let’s celebrate with a rewind of Mr LeBlanc’s best bits…

Sharing plates

When Phoebe sets Joey up with one of her friends in season 10, things go wrong on the date when she casually helps herself to a few of Joey’s fries. “It’s not about the fries,” he explains to Phoebe the next day. “It’s about what the fries represent: ALL FOOD. Don’t order a garden salad, then eat my food. That’s a good way to lose some fingers. JOEY. DOESN’T. SHARE. FOOD!"

You Tweetin’ to me?

On Jimmy Kimmel’s recurring strand, LeBlanc joined in the “Celebrities reading mean Tweets about themselves” fun. When he read one about how he looks so old now, he gave a hearty chuckle – before calmly suggesting the tweeter should go f*** themselves.

Handy resemblance

When the Central Perk gang went to Las Vegas in season five, Joey was stoked to meet a croupier who was his “exact hand double”. Despite the croupier not being remotely impressed, Joey thinks “this is huge – NASA’s gonna wanna talk to us” and he’ll end up living in a “great big hand-shaped mansion”. He even makes up a little song: “‘This hand is your hand / This hand is my hand / No, wait that’s your hand / Oh no, that’s my hand…”

Canned laughter

On The Graham Norton Showfive years ago, Norton showed his guests a YouTube clip of a Beer Dispensing Fridge, complete with cannon to fire the frosted brewski at the drinker. As the king of “doin’ nuthin”, LeBlanc naturally volunteered to sit in a La-Z-Boy recliner and have a can of Bud fired at him.

Milking it

In season 10, Joey landed an audition that required a French-speaking actor – which Joey’s resumé claimed he was. Phoebe tried to teach him French, which didn’t go well (“Oh, de foof”) so made Joey remove anything from his CV that he couldn’t actually do: “Tap dancing, archery, horseback riding… Drinking a gallon of milk in 10 seconds?” Joey insists he’ll prove the last one. And does. Kinda. The funniest bit is LeBlanc trying not to laugh as milk cascades down his chin.

Scent of a woman

In meta-com Episodes, the fictionalised Matt LeBlanc slept with the wife of colleague Sean (Stephen Mangan). Cue a lame fight, including Sean throwing bottles of LeBlanc’s own signature fragrance at him and yelling: “How YOU smellin’?”

Quit stallin’

In debut season episode “The One With The Fake Monica”, Joey enlists his friends to help him come up with a “less ethnic” stage name. His agent wants something “more neutral”. “Joey Switzerland?” suggests Chandler. Missing the sarcasm of Chandler’s subsequent suggestion, he eventually settles on “Joseph Stalin – I think you’d remember that.” “Oh yes,” smirks Chandler. Later on, our hapless hero presents himself at a Shakespearean audition as “Holden McGroin”.

Moo point

In season seven episode “The One Where Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs", Joey’s verdict on how long you leave it before "making a move" when the person just broke up with someone is “half an hour”. But if the person does’t like you back, “this is all a moo point”. Not a moot point, Joey? “No. It’s like a cow’s opinion. It doesn’t matter. It’s moo.”

And A UK Moment... The Right royal swear

On the Conan O’Brien show, LeBlanc told a story about being at a posh polo match in the UK, where he met Princes William and Harry. Like any mere mortals, the Windsor brothers asked him about the possibility of a Friends reunion. Matt had only two words for them.

And Let's End On A Top Gear Moment... Lap of honour

LeBlanc still holds the record for the fast ever lap on Top Gear’s Star In A Reasonably Priced Car, so any excuse to relive it. What we especially admire is his blasé “do I look bovvered?” demeanour while driving it. He whistles. He shrugs. But he can’t act casual when he realises he’s shot to the top of the leaderboard.